Mr. Ingele Ifoto: The mining sector in
DRC is considered as a "geological
scandal" in connection with the quantity
and the quality of our minerals; and additionally
we have all kind of minerals throughout
Congo. Moreover, the mining sector is the
most important one as regards with the economy
of our country, and the economical re-launching
or resuming of Congo, which are going to
be achieved through a rehabilitation process
in this sector. Nowadays, the advantages
we do have are stability in the political
level through pacification and reunification
of the country without forgetting -reorganising
balanced point of macroeconomics; all these
factors influenced positively the mining
sector. Lots of efforts have been made mainly
in the inflation that we found at the rate
of more than 200% and now it is at 8% to
10%. We develop reforms in the mining sector
level and meanwhile efforts are performed
in political, economical and financial levels.
Presently, we have a new legislation specially:
the "Mining Code" which is very
competitive and attractive in the mining
sector. By elaborating it, we associated
donors, Congolese and foreign businessmen
including naturally our government. A text
commitment resulted from thereof. The state
released its obligation to private company
and will promote, guide and regulate it.
Formerly, these mining production companies
were state companies but nowadays, due to
the mining code, the state released progressively
its obligation to private companies, which
are taking over. This is a general framework
that we are altogether regulated.

Summit Communications: It's compulsory
for American investors to know about the
Mining Code advantages. What are the three
outstanding points that allow foreign investors
in general to focus in rational way on this
mining sector?

Mr. Ingele Ifoto: First of all, in terms
of judicial and legal safety: the Mining
Code asserts and institutes a legal regime
that allows private companies to compete
and to be lodged in the common law. In other
words, if a problem rises in the legal level,
these companies shall lay a matter to legal
courts as well as others. They are altogether
protected by the Mining Code. In addition
every Congolese can nowadays benefit in
getting mining certificates. Formerly, it
was only related to Congolese government.
In obtaining a concession, three ways are
offered by the Mining Code:
1. You can create your own company according
to the Congolese legislation;
2. If you don't want to own a mining concession,
you can joint venture in partnership with
Congolese companies that are already exploiting;
3. For small mining exploitation, you can
have a purchase and sale county of some
precious matters in Congo.

That allows Congolese government to regulate,
as it is its prominent role. As a matter
of fact, the Mining Code institutes transparency
mechanism, rapidity mechanism due to set
deadline and mechanism of objectivity. In
short, we have good governance owing to
transparency; objectivity and files speed
process as far as they are involved. As
a Minister, I set deadlines (dates): when
one comes to apply, the application is processed
right there and not within 45 days and he
will directly own a mining concession. Second,
in terms of fiscal and customs regime, there
is complete exemption in regards with mining
products, exportations and importations.
There are no more administrative disturbances
when one should go by many offices to pay
taxes or obtain different licences. Nowadays,
we open a single office where payment shall
be done once. Third, we are getting into
international process of Kimberley that
requires transparency between the extraction
and sale of minerals like Diamond, Colton
and Gold. We have to know exactly who are
the persons to buy these goods, and who
will export them, and through which channel.
I admit that this process has allowed to
the government to collect an important financial
flow. Generally speaking diamond and mineral
sectors is the pillar of the national economy.
The positive impacts are not only on mining
royalties but also on the fact that investors
come with millions of dollars, which will
be poured in others national sectors as
regards with foreign currencies.

Summit Communications: Nowadays, we
can say that you have true mission to re-launch
the economy of the country but also with
the regions. Would you give us, according
to your point of view, the dimension of
your geological size?

Mr. Ingele Ifoto: This mission will always
be appreciated, as my country didn't have
porous borders. Unfortunately, instead of
being a mission, it is a responsibility.
DRC can play a prominent role in connection
with exporting its development towards other
countries. But unfortunately, our development
becomes now our difficulty; instead of exporting
our richness in supporting other nations,
other nations envy our wealthy. This is
the very geo-strategic dimension. We are
aware of the role we were playing formerly,
but we can play it also today. It takes
Congo to develop a good neighbourliness
policy, which will allow exporting its richness
to the profit of Congolese first of all
and then to the needy countries. The current
issue is that we don't have means to make
transformation within the country. Presently,
we cannot mention richness in reality but
rather about great potentialities. The Congolese
man is the richness of the Congo.

Summit Communications: How do you rate
the mining sector nowadays?

Mr. Ingele Ifoto: Congolese mining sector
is suffering from three diseases: the first
one is focused on political level; our crisis
and conflicts have disrupted the function
of the Republic, the state and the society,
which caused us to be excluded as a people
from international assistance. I admit that
without credibility on international level
in every sector, no one dares to come investing
massively in Congo. Currently mining sector
requires 1.5 B dollars in order to rise
up and we don't find who is ready to take
risks. Secondly, working equipment that
we use, are disused and don't fit to the
new technology period. Actually, we still
have equipment let by Belgium up to now.
We make small-scale production, which is
presently more profitable. The third one
is the Congolese man! Management and experience
acquired with partnership are misbalanced
and don't profit to Congo. I admit that
no partnership benefits to DRC.

Summit Communications: And what is the
remedy you will advocate in order to cure
your country from its diseases?

Mr. Ingele Ifoto: Now, if there would be
any remedy, it is to contact partners that
would like to accept bringing necessary
funds as well as their experience in this
sector. I can admit that if we stand till
today, it is due to investors and mainly
private ones. The Mining Code outlines in
stating, "The country releases its
obligations and let the place to private
companies" but not the ministry. A
partnership would be a solution but the
current problem is that Congo doesn't know
how to assess oneself: nobody knows clearly
the exact mining value of DRC. The ministry
intends primarily to up-to-date geological
and mining data. The only maps, as well
as the machines we have now, dated from
the period of the independence in 1960.
Sometimes, we are bound to contact Belgium
to have maps of mining areas of the country.
We are cooperating with South Africa's organisation
that will support us in modernising maps.
Once we solved those aforesaid problems,
we will deal with ways of draining. The
Congo has important resources to achieve
in producing and transforming factories
within the country. Presently, competing
between modern companies is not a preoccupation
of one government but rather of royalties,
bonus as well as creating jobs. But we are
in the transitional government and they
should take into account certain constraints.
They start planning in reforming this sector
and even though its implementation will
not be performed during the transitional
period, we will be sure enough to lay solid
foundations.

Summit Communications: What is your
strategy to set into place production equipment
that is an added value on them?

Mr. Ingele Ifoto: The first thing is to
assess well potentiality of our mining resources.
Figures are dated from Belgium colonisation
whenever we conclude a partnership or an
association; we assess the concerned deposit
appointed. Reliability survey becomes then
compulsory; for example, Gecamines owns
25% partnership but none knows the exact
value of Gecamines. It is a matter of Congolese
politicians, and of political, cultural,
economical and moral struggles, which bother
Congolese. If there is any reform to be
done, we have to start by framing first
of all the Congolese man. We have missed
a good opportunity during the inter-congolese
dialog to define the profile of congolese
leaders in the end of 2002 in South Africa.
Nowadays, if there were kind of any mould
in which to we could frame Congolese man
are: school, education and training. It
will take an integral approach of development,
which involves man himself. I thank you
for understanding that you should not leave
Congo apart, in forsaking it into prejudices.
Let us seek for what is positive, coming
out from the negative consideration of the
understanding of Congo, because there is
a little effort which is already performed.